Apparatus for removing grain doors



Nov. 6,1928. 1,690,262

A. WESTLING APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GRAIN DOORS Filed Jan. 6, 1928 124116752501 Maw 15" Patented Nov. 5, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW WESTLING, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, .ASSIGNOR TO CONCRETE ELE- YATOR COMPANY, OF MINNEAIPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING GRAIN Doons.

Application filed January This inventionrelates to apparatus for as-' sisting in the unloading of grain from freight cars and especially to apparatus for removing, the usual wooden grain doors from the doorways of the box cars; V Itis the main. object of my invention to provide simple economical and highly eflicient apparatus which will quickly remove grain doors of common type from the doorways of box cars without injuring the doors.

I A further object of the inventionis to provide grain door removing apparatus, which doors from the cars with a considerable sav ing in time and labor over methods formerly employed. a g

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in wvhich like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through a box car disposed in the unloading shed of an elevator showing a preferred embodiment of my invention applied for operation upon one ofthe grain doors; y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a grain door is removed fromthe doorway of a box car and lifted over the top of the grainin the car and simulta 'neously tilted to dispose one end thereof properly for ejection of the door from the car; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the construction of my extricating hook. u

In the drawings, a portioniof an, elevator shed S is illustrated having the track Texe, 1928. Serial No. 244,905.

L and a plurality of grain doors 4 of common type are secured in the usualmanner across the doorways 5 of the car, said grain doors being nailed or otherwise secured from the inner side of the car. Obviously, the pressure of grain against the doors a is very great a and considerable force must be exercised to remove the doors while the grain is in the car.

In my apparatus, a flexible member 6 is employed passing over a pulley 7 supported from beam B substantially above the pit P and also passing over apulley 8 also supported from the beam B and disposedadjacent the outer side of the shed and vertically .alin'ed with a pointy outwardly disposed of the left side of the box car C. Flexible member 6 as shown extends substantially horizontally acrossthe top of the shed and down wardly after passing over pulley 8 and over a third pulley 9 which may be supported from the vertical wall of shed S at a height slightly below the top'of the box car. Cable 6 from pulley 9 extended transversely into the box car, passmg through the aperture defined by the top of the doorway 5 and the uppermost grain door 4 at the side of the car at which unloading will not take place. The

end of flexible member 6 is connected to a substantially L-shaped'extricating hook 10 having an elongated flat body portion .10

and a wedge shaped head 10*, said headaextending substantially perpendicular to said body portion v The head 10 is preferably provided with two or three inclined teeth10 and further has a thickened portion 1O which may be struck with a hammer to permit the wedge shaped end l0 to be driven between a pair of successively arranged grain doors tat the, unloading side of the car and be neath the lower edge of the uppermost grain door. Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which my extricating hook is applied in position to remove the top grain door atthe right hand side of the car.

The opposite end of flexible member 6 may extend downwardly and terminate in a small book 6 which may be adjnstably secured to a chain or other flexible member 152. The chain illustrated is utilized simply to facilitate the connection of flexible member 6 with winding means for actuating cxtricating hook 10. Suitable winding mechanism is provided connected to cable 6 and I prefer to use winding mechanism which will move cable 6 a predetermined distance and automatically stop the winding action and which further may be caused to wind when the cabled has oeen manually pulled out a desired distance to permit extricating book 10 to properly engage another grain door. \Vhile many types of winding mechanism can be utilized as an element of my apparatus I prefer to use the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, which is a well known mechanism for operating power grain shovels. This power mechanism indicated by the letter M is provided with a wind ing reel 13 to which the upper end of a cable or other flexible member 14 is secured. As shown. mechanism M is supported on the beam ll and is connected to a power shaft 15 and the cable 14 extends downwardly from winding reel 18 and under a pulley 16 which is mounted on a suitable support 17 at a height substantially equal to the heightof the floor of box car C. The end of cable llis connected to the lower end of chain 12 and as above described chain 12 has its upper end relcasably connected as desired to one end of cable 6. A. stop member 18 of any suitable form and of greater size than. the cross sec tion of chain 12 may be secured to the chain for a purpose to be later described.

It will be obvious that various operating mechanisms either manual or automatic may be utilized for pulling cable (3 the requisite distance to remove the grain door and I prefer to utilize an automatic winding mechanism. such as the power shovel operating mechanism M. illustrated in Fig. 1. Since this mechanism M is a well known IRC'd-lfllllt'fil device on the market at this time it is not necessary to describe the construction thereof, but its functions maybe briefly described as follows The power shaft 15 is connectible with the winding reel 13 by a suitable clutch adapted to be thrown in by a short tug on the cable 14. Vinding reel 13 then begins to function and will continue until cable 14 is again pulled which releases the clutch. Stop member 18 or any other suitable stop will automatically pull the clutch out 0t en agement to arrest the windin action when it engages the pulley bracket, failing to pass through the pulley 16. Thus, by regulating the distance of the chain or other flexible member 12 between stop 18 and the pulley, the winding action of mechanism M is determined.

Operation.

The operation of my apparatus. although perhaps obvious from the foregoing description may be briefly sunnmirizcd as l'ollows:

The extricating hook ll) and the outer end of cable 6 are pa sod through the box car C and the wedge shaped head 10" of said hook is driven between the lower edge of the upper right hand grain door and the adjacent edge oi the next lower grain door. This is easily 1' acili tated by hammering upon the heavy portion 10 of book 10. The hook is placed ad jacent one end of the door and when properly applied has its flat body portion 10 disposed flush against the outer side of the top grain door Hook ti is then connected with one of the links of chain 12, the cables l-l and (3 being first stretched to connect the same with a minimum of slack. The cable 14 or the chain 12 may then be pulled in the direction of car C- to throw in the clutch of" mechanism M. \Vinding immediately takes place and the power derived is more than ample to quickly extricate the door l from its engagement with the inner sides ot the doorway Since pulley 9 is disposed slightly above the height oi the top edge of the grain door and since able (3 extends transversely of the freight car the upper grain door will be rapidly moved backwardly and upwardly sliding orcr the top of the grain in the car and not being ohstructed by said grain. Sin'uiltancously with the movements described. the door will swing from end to end the right hand end swinging faster than the left hand end. At the complct'irm ol the winding action of mechanism M the left hand end of the door will he directed towards the opening ol the doorway in. convenient position for an operator to quickly eject the door from the car.

Because of the structure of my (..-Il1ll(';llll1 book 10 and its engagement with the don:- and because of the manner in which the pull is exerted on cable (5 the door vill be torn away from the doorway without injury or l'ructuro and may be utilized again.

To reset the device to operate upon the next grain door it is only necessary tor an operator to reach into the car from the unloading ride. move the hook and cable through the :ar and again drive the wedge shaped head '10" oi the entricating hook between. the lower edge of the top grain. door and the adjacent edgioi the lower door. A tautconnection is then again made between the hook (3 and the chain 12 and the removal of the door will quickly taite place when the cable is aoain tugged. The movement of cable (3 is alw l s -ul'iicicnt to cause the grain door to he crunpletcly withdrawn from the doorway and moved up- Wardly and transversely of thecar over the grain.

The inclined teeth 10 formed on the inner edge of the wedge shaped head 10" of my hook prevent the hook from slipping out of engagement with the lower edge of the upper door, in other words, from being drawn around the outer side of the door.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have invented a simple but highly efficient apparatus for very quickly removing grain doors, which will positively, pull the door from the doorway over the top of the grain in the car, leaving the door in position to be ejected from the car and accomplishing the functions previously described, without damaging the door. I

The device has been extensively tested in a large elevator and has been found highly efficient for the purposes enumerated, said extensive tests having conclusively shown that box cars may be unloaded with my apparatus in two-thirds the time required where other types of apparatus for removing grain doors are employed.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the invention, and thatother mechanisms for winding or operating the cable 6 may be employed although the mechanism M, illustrated, is preferred since'most grain elevators are at this time equipped with the same.

What is claimed is 1. Apparatus for removing grain doors from freight cars having in combination, a

relatively stationary support, a guide member mounted on said support in positionto be disposed at one side of a freight car opposite a doorwa thereof and at a height somewhat above t 1e upper edge of the top grain door at said side, a flexible member passing through said guide member and adapted to be extended through the car transversely thereof and to the opposite side, an extricating hook connected to the end of said flexible member and adapted to be disposed below the lower edge of the top grain door at said opposite side of the car, and means for transmitting pull upon said flexible member-to withdraw said top grain door and cause the same to move inwardly and upwardly over the grain within the car.

2. Apparatus for removing grain doors from freight cars having in combination, a relatively stationary support, a guide member mounted on said support in position to be disposed at one side of a freight car opposite a doorway thereof and at a height somewhat above the upper edge of the top grain door at said side, a flexible member passing through said guide member and adapted to be extended through the car transversely thereof and to the opposite side, an 'extricat ing hook connected to the end of said flexiblemember having anelongated flat body portion adapted to be disposed flush against the outer surface of the. top grain door at said opposite side of the car, and also having an angularly disposed head adapted to be positioned beneath the lower edge of said last mentioned grain door, and means for suddenly transmitting pull upon said flexible member to withdraw said grain door and cause the same to move inwardly and upwardly over the grain within the car.

3. Apparatus for removing grain doors from freight cars having in combination, a

relatively stationary support mounted near grain door at said opposite side of the door,

said hook extending inwardly, and Winding mechanism connected to said flexible member for withdrawing said grain door and causing the same to moveinwardly and upwardly over the grain within the car.

4. Apparatus for removing grain doors from freight cars having in combination, a

relatively stationary support mounted near a car track, a'guide member mounted on said support in position to be disposed at one side of a freight car opposite a doorway thereof and at a height somewhat above the upper edge of the top grain door at said side, a flexible member passing through said guide member adapted to be extended through the car transversely thereof and through the op posite side, an extricating hook connected to the end of said flexible member and adapted to be disposed beneath the lower edge of the top grain door at saidsop'posite side of the car, winding mechanism connected to said flexible member for withdrawing said grain door and causing the same to move inwardly and upwardly over the grain within the car, and means for automatically controlling said winding mechanism to cause saidhook to. be moved through a predetermined distance.

5. Apparatus for removing grain doors from freight cars having in combination, a relatively stationary support mounted near a car track, a guide member mounted on said sup 7 port in position to be disposed at one side of a freight car opposite a doorway thereof and at a height somewhat above the upper edge of the top grain door at said side, a flexible member passing through said guide member and adapted to be extended through the car;

transversely thereof and through the opposite side, between the top of said ea and the top of the upper grain door at said side, an extricating hook connected to the end of said flexible member, and having a fiat body portion adapted to be disposed flush against the outer surface of said last mentioned grain door, and also having an angular-1y extending Wedge-shaped head provided With rearwardly inclined teeth, said head being adapted to be driven beneath the lower edge of said last mentioned grain door, and means for transmitting pull upon said flexible member to withdraw said last mentioned grain door and cause the same to move inwardly and upwardly over the grain within the fill.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW lVES'lLING. 

